History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 80

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1672

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 80

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Incidentally, Mr. Babson mentions, withont seek- ing to give the English equivalent, and probably as a mere matter of tradition, that the Indian name of Cape Ann was Wingaersheek. But Prof. Trumbull says that " Wingaersheek is not Indian," and that, if it is a corruption of an Indian name it is so much corrupted that conjectures as to its original sounds would be wasted; and Prof. E. N. Horsford, of Cam- bridge, Mass., who has given a good deal of attention to local names, says, " Wingaersheek is an nndoubted corruption of the German name (Low Dutch) W'yu- gaerts Heck, which occurs on many maps of the period between 1630 and 1670; especially in Ogilby's America." Wyngaerts Iheck is from Wyngaerten, and is the equivalent of what the North-men desig-

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nated as Vincisoil, since, as we shall soon see, grapes were the prominent fruit found by the first whites, so far as we know, who set foot on the Cape, their presence in greater or less abundance may very naturally have caused some of the discoverers to give to the Capc. or a portion of it, the name we are con- sidering, as expressive of that fact.

Just when this part of the coast was first seen by white men is largely a matter of conjecture. Possi- bly Captain Bartholomew Gosnold, who made an unsuccessful attempt to plant a colony in New Eng- land (then called North Virginia) in 1602, sighted Cape Ann as he sailed from the coast of Maine to Vineyard Sound, where he tried in vain to induce several of his ship's company to attempt a permanent settlement. It is also matter of conjecture that Capt. Pring, another English explorer, came in view of Cape Ann, if indeed he did not land there, in 1603, as according to the ship's log, he, after leaving what Gosnold called "Savage Rock," (some point on the Maine coast where he had an interview with the na- tives), " bare into that great gulf which Capt. Gosnold overshot the year before, coasting, and finding people, on the north side thereof." But the first visit to the C'ape on the part of Europeans, of which we have positive assurance, was made by Frenehmen.

The famous voyager, Samuel De Champlain, sighted Cape Ann, at its castern extremity, on the 15th of July, 1604, and anchored near its shores before the morning of the following day. A little while after light a few Indians timidly approached them in a canoe, and then, retiring, set up a dance on the shore, indicating their friendly greeting of the strangers. Champlain was sent out to interview them ; and pro- viding himself with crayon and drawing paper he sought from them some geographieal information ; and by a generous distribution of knives and biscuits, was soon able to win their confidence, when he pro- eroded to exhibit his drawing of the bay to the north of the Cape. Seizing his offered crayon, the Indians proceeded to surprise him by the accuracy of their knowledge of the coast on either side of the Cape, by introducing into his sketch the location of the Merri- mar River, hidden from his view by the intervention of Plum Island which stretches before its mouth ; and by making an outline of Massachusetts Bay, to the south of the Cape. They then volunteered to him some valuable historical information, Placing six pebbles at equal distances, they made him under- Mand that Massachusetts Bay was occupied by six tribus, governed by as many chiefs. The accuracy of this intortontion is fully confirmed by the statement of the historian Gookin, Superintendent of Indian Aturs in Ma achusetts in 1656, who wrote in 1674: "Their chiet sachem held lominion over many other petty governors, as those of Weechagaskas, Neponsit, Punkapane, Nobantam, Nishaway, and some of the Vipuvek people, as far as Pokomatucke, as the de ron of Massachusetts atfirmyd." The Cape In-

dians were also accurate in their drawing of the out- line of Massachusetts Bay, as Champlain states that in sailing through its waters he "found all that the savages had described to me at Island Cape," "c Cap aux Isles." This, so far as any record informs us, was the first name given to the Cape by white men, and it is so designated by Champlain in other portions of his writings. The name was suggested by " these islands near the main land, full of wood of different kinds, as at Chouacoet [Saco], and all along the coast; and still another flat one, where there are breakers, and which extends a little farther out to sea than the others, on which there is no wood at all." The three wooded islands are now known as Straits- mouth, Thatcher, and Milk Islands, and the fourth was probably the ledge called "The Salvages."

Sailing half a league farther Champlain observed several savages on a rocky point, [probably Emons' Point]. "We anchored," he says "near a little island [Thatcher's Island] and sent our canoe with knives and eakes for the savages. From the large number of those we saw, we concluded that these places were better inhabited than the others we had seen." Their stay here was short, when they sailed into Massachusetts Bay, and after a brief landing near Noddle's Island, crossed over to Cape Cod, which from its white appearance they named "the White Cape,-" "le Cap Blanc." The following September they were again at Cape Ann, but encoun- tering bad weather and fogs, were in despair of find- ing shelter, until Champlain bethought him of a harbor which he had noted on the map made while on the previous voyage, but which they did not then enter, At the mouth of this harbor, Gloucester llarbor, they anchored at night and in the morning sailed in. Sieur de Poutrincourt, commander of the Barque, landed with eight or ten of the eom- pany. What they saw and what their experiences were with the natives, Champlain thus deseribes :

" We saw some very fine grapes just ripe, Brazilian peas, [the New England bush-bean], pumpkins, squashes and very good roots [artichokes], which the savages cultivated, having a taste similar to that of chards. They made us presents of some of these, in exchange for little trifles which we gave them. They had already finished their harvest. We saw two hundred savages in this very pleasant place, and there are here a large number of very fine walnut trees, cypresses, sassafras, oaks, ashes and heeches. The chief of this place is named Quiouhamenee, who came to sce us with a neighbor of his named Cohouepech, whom we entertained sumptuously. Onemechin, chief of Chouacoet, came also to see us, to whom we gave a coat, which he, however, did not keep a long time, but made a present of it to another, since he was uneasy in it, and could not adapt him- self to it. We also saw a savage here, who had so wounded himself in the foot, and lost so much blood, that he fell down in a swoon. Many others surround-

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ed him, and sang some time before touching him. Afterwards they made some motions with their feet and hands, shook his head and breathed upon him, when he came to himself. Our surgeon dressed his wounds, when he went off in good spirits.

" The next day, as we were calking our shallop, Sieur de Poutrincourt in the woods noticed a number of savages who were going with the intention of do- ing us some mischief, to a little stream, where a neck connects with the mainland, at which our party were doing their washing. As I was walking along this neck, these savages noticed me ; and in order to put a good face on it, since they saw that I had discover- ed them thus seasonably, they began to shout and dance, and then came towards me with their bows, arrows, qnivers and other arms. And, inasmuch as there was a meadow between them and myself, I made a sign to them to dance again. This they did in a circle, putting all their arms in the middle. But they had hardly commenced when they observed Sieur de Poutrincourt in the wood with eight mus- keteers, which frightened them. Yet they did not stop until they had finished their dance, when they withdrew in all directions, fearing lest some unpleas- ant turn might be served them. We said nothing to them, however, and showed them only demonstra- tions of gladness. Then we returned to launch our shallop, and take our departure. They entreated us to wait a day, saying that more than two thousand of them would come to see us. But, unable to lose any time, we were unwilling to stay here longer. I am of opinion that their object was to surprise us. Some of the land was already cleared up, and they were constantly making clearings. Their mode of doing it is as follows : After cutting down the trees at the distance of three feet from the ground, they burn the branches upon the trunk, and then plant their corn between these stumps, in course of time tearing up also the roots. There are likewise fine meadows here, capable of supporting a large number of cattle. This harbor is very fine, containing water enough for vessels, and affording shelter from the weather be- hind the islands. It is in latitude forty-three degrees, and we gave it the name of Le Beauport," [the Beau- tiful Harbor]. "The last day of September we set ont from Beauport."

among other things, a girl with her hair very neatly dressed, with a skin colored red, and bordered on the upper part with little shell-beads. A part of her hair hung down behind the rest, being braided in various ways. These people paint the face red, black and yellow. They have scarcely any beard, and tear it out as fast as it grows. Their bodies are well pro- portioned. I cannot tell what government they have, but I think that in this respect they resemble their neighbors, who have none at all. They know not how to worship or pray ; yet, like the other savages, they have some superstitions, which I shall describe in their place. As for weapons, they have pikes, clubs, bows and arrows. It would seem from their appearance that they have a good disposition, better than those of the North, but they are all in fact of no great worth. Even a slight intercourse with them gives you at once a knowledge of them. They are great thieves, and if once they cannot lay hold of anything with their hands they try to do so with their feet, as we have oftentimes learned by experi- ence. I am of opinion that, if they had anything to exchange with us, they would not give themselves to thieving. They bartered away to us their bows, ar- rows and quivers, for pins and buttons ; and if they had had anything else better they would have done the same with it. It is necessary to be on one's guard against this people, and live in a state of dis- trust of them, yet without letting them perceive it. They gave us a large quantity of tobacco, which they dry and then reduce to powder. When they eat Indian corn, they boil it in earthen pots, which they make in a way different from ours. They bray it also in wooden mortars and reduce it to flour, of which they make cakes, like the Indians of Peru." (Voy- ages of Samuel De Champlain, volume 2, pp. 70, 85, 111).

Ten years elapsed before the Cape again attracted the attention of the whites. In the spring of 1614 Captain John Smith, who had been distinguished in planting and sustaining the colony of Virginia, arrived on our coast with two ships and forty-five men and boys, with the intention of planting a col- ony in the North. While an experiment with this end in view was being made at the Island of Monhe- gan, on the coast of Maine, Captain Smith explored We have no further account of visits from French explorers. Elsewhere Champlain says of the "savages from the Island Cape," that "they wear neither robes nor furs, except very rarely ; moreover, their robes are made of grasses and hemp, scarcely covering the the coast from Penobscot Bay to Cape Cod, making a map of the territory visited and affixing names to its most prominent parts. To Cape Ann he gave the name Tragabigzanda, in honor of a Turkish lady of that name who had showed him great kindness while body, and coming down to the thighs. They have he was a prisoner in her country. And to the " three only the several parts covered with a small piece of islands fronting the fair headland, Tragabigzanda" (Thatchers, Straitsmouth and Milk Islands) he gave the name of the " Three Turks' Heads," in memory of his slaying three Turkish champions in personal combat. To the whole portion of " North Virginia " explored by him he gave the name of "New Eng- land." On his return home, Prince Charles substitu- leather; so likewise the women, with whom it comes down a little lower behind than with the men, all the rest of the hody being naked. Whenever the women came to see us, they wore robes which were open in front. The men cut off the hair on the top of the head like those at the River Chouacoet. I saw,

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ted for the name Tragabigzanda, that of his mother, 'Robinson, as no such name occurs in any list of Anne of Denmark, and from that time Cape Ann has children of the Rev. John Robinson, but that a been the name designating this important locality. person of that name settled on the Cape about 1631 In 1623 some merchants and other gentlemen about Dorchester, England, organized a company, and des- patched a small ship of fifty tons to the New England coast. to begin, in the prosecution of the fishing busi- ness, the establishment of a colony. there is good reason to believe. The Rev. Eli Forbes, in a sermon given in the First Parish Meeting-house, in 1792, quoted from what he called an " Ancient Manuscript," which is unfortunately lost, that there were settlers on the Cape as early as 1633, who "met and carried on the worship of God among themselves, read the word of God, prayed to Him and sung psalms." We may there- fore safely take the last-mentioned date as fixing the time for permanent settlers.

We have no means of knowing whether any partic- ular spot, whereon to plant their colony, was in mind by the company when its ship left Dorchester. But arriving on the customary fishing-ground late in the season, and seeing no prospect of filling their ship, "the Master thought good to pass into Massachusetts Bay to try whether that would yield him any." He was successful, and having left fourteen men "in the country of Cape Ann," the vessel sailed for Spain. Concerning these pioneers we know not even their mannes. We only know that their ship returned the next year, and that the number of settlers was then increased to thirty-two, and that of the number two were appointed overseers of the business of the plan- tation; John Tylly of the fishing and Thomas Gardener of the planting. At the commencement of the third year, Roger Conant, who had settled at Nan- tasket, was selected by the Dorchester Company " for the management and government of all their atlairs at Cape Ann." The Rev. John Lyford, a minister of the Established Church, expelled from the Plymouth Colony, was also invited by the company to settle at Cape Anne, as the minister of the new plantation. But at the close of the same year the company, having made a pecuniary failure of their experiment, sokl their ships and abandoned the establishing of the col- ony. Nearly all the settlers returned to England. C'onant and a few others resolved to stay and take charge of the property, but as it was manifest that Naumkeag, now Salem, was better adapted to agri- cultural pursuits, they removed to that place in 1626. Marks of the abandoned settlement at what is now known as Stage Fort, the Stage being the name of the spot used for landing fish, were observed three years later by a passenger in the ship "Talbot," which was anchored in the harbor a few days in June of that year, who says that he saw no English people, though there were signs of " buildings and plantation- work."

The permanent settlement of Gloucester, possibly In ran in 1681. The tradition is that Abraham Robinson, a son of the oll pastor of the Pilgrims at Leyden, Rev. John Robinson, came with his mother and her family, to Plymouth, in 1630, and that the following year Robinson and a few others tilel over from Plymouth, and landing at Annis- quam, were so well satisfied with the conveniences which it seemed to : Ford for the fishing business that they set up a fishing-st: re, and made prepara- won for the accomodation of their families. There may to some doubt as to the paternity of Abraham

In 1639 the General Court passed an "act for the encouragement of Mr. Maurice Thompson, mer- chant, and others, who intend to promote the fish- ing-trade," in which it was "ordered that a fish- ing-plantation should be begun at Cape Ann, and that the said Mr. Thompson should have places as- signed for the building of houses, and stages, and other necessaries for that use; and shall have suf- fieient lands allowed for their occasions, both for their fishing and for keeping of cattle, and corn, etc .; and that such other fishermen as will join in the way of fishing, and inhabit there, shall have such lands and other liberties there as shall be needful and fit for their occasions." "Mr. Endi- cott, Mr. Humphrey, Mr. Winthrop, Jun., Mr. Wil- liam Pierce and Joseph Grafton," or any three of them, were empowered by the court " to set out the said plan- tation and all lands and other accommodations to such as should be planted there; aud none to be settled there but by their allowance." The General Court, also, for the encouragement of such settlers as would engage in this branch of industry, and in especial expectation that Mr. Thompson would establish the business, passed an act granting to fishing estab- lishments certain privileges and exemptions. But Mr. Thompson did not take advantage of the legis- lation in his favor, except to erect a frame on a lot at the harbor. He is represented as having been a merchant in London, who was at one time engaged in the Canadian beaver-trade. As late as 1650, in a grant of land by the town authorities, the contin- gency of Mr. Thompson's coming is provided for. The town records, under date of 4th month, 1650, say : "Will Southmead hath given him that psell of land in the harbour upon which Mr. Tomson's frame stood; provided yt if Mr. Tomson or his agent shall demand it, that then upon compeusa- tion for the charges about it, this said grant is to be surrendered np."

At a General Court, October, 1641, the Deputy Governor, (Mr. Endicott), and Messrs. Downing and Hlathorne, deputies from Salem, were appointed com- missioners to view and settle the boundaries of Ips- wich, Cape Ann, and Jeffries' Creek (now Manches- ter) ; and to dispose of all land and other things at C'ape Ann. The commissioners subsequently ap-

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pointed the following named eight men to manage the affairs of the plantation for 1642: William Stevens, Mr. Sadler, Obadiah Bruen, George Norton, William Addes, Thomas Milward, Mr. Fryer, and Walter Tybott. They probably had charge of all affairs, although most of the orders issued by them, relate to highways, trees, and timber. How many people were then residing on the Cape it is impossi- ble to say. But about this time a large and influen- tial accession was made to the population by the coming of Rev. Richard Blynman with several fami- lies from Plymouth. In May, 1642, the settlement was incorporated by the simple form then employed, and called Gloucester, from Gloucester in England, the native place of several of the settlers. How many came with Rev. Mr. Blynman cannot be ascer- tained, as no discrimination is made in the town re- cords, between the earliest and later inhabitants. Mr. Babson gives the following list of persons who are believed to comprise all known to have been re- sidents, or proprietors of the soil, from 1633 to the close of 1650.

William Addes.

Osman Dutch.

Christopher Avery.

William Evans.

Ralph Parker. John Pearse, Capt. Perkins.

James Avery. Willliam Ash.

Sylvester Evelyth.

Thomas Prince.

Thomas Ashley. Isabel Babson.

Henry Felch.

Hugh Pritchard.

Phenis Rider.

James Babson.

Mr. Fryer. James Fogg. Jolın Gallope.

Abraham Robinson.

Alexander Baker.

Charles Glover.

Edward Ronse. Mr. Sadler. Robert Sadler.

Richard Beeford. George Blake. Richard Blynman. Obadiah Bruen. John Bourne.

William Haskell, John Holgrave. William Hongh. Zebulon Hill.

Thomas Skellin.

James Smith.

Thomas Bray.

Samnel Haieward. George Ingersoll.

William Southmeade. William Steveus.

Matthew Coe. John Collins. Thomas Cornish.

John Kettle, Nicholas Liston. Andrew Lister. John Luther.

William Vinson. Thomas Wakley. John Wakley.

William Cotton.

William Meades.

Henry Walker.

Clement Coldam.

Thomas Milward.

William Wellman.

Anthony Day. William Dudbridge.

George Norton.

Philip Youdall.

Two-thirds of these eighty-two subsequently emi- grated to other places, but the remainder continued to be citizens of Gloucester. Mr. Babson estimated that not more than ten of the names given above "are perpetuated by families now (1860) living in town, though descendants of several others in the female line are numerous." During the next forty years the population was increased by the coming of eighty-seven persons from various localities, about fifty of whom became settlers. " Although the date of the first settlement of Gloucester cannot be ascer- tained, it appears probable that Felch, Streeter, Thomas Smith, Baker and Cotton were here before the incorporation of the town, and were located at

Done Fudging (the spot where, by means of the canal before referred to the waters of Massachusetts Bay were united to the waters of Ipswich Bay) that Ash- ley, Milward, Liston, Luther, and perhaps two or three others, were also here before that date, and had lots at the harbor. These persons may have been here in the employment of Mr. Thomson ; or they, or some of them, may have been compan- ions of Robinson in the removal from the other side of the Bay, if such removal actually took place. Of the whole number who were here before 1651, it appears that about thirty had their habitations at the harbor, and that nineteen of these lived on the north border of the Harbor Cove; five had lots at Vinson's Cove; three resided on Duncan's Point, between the two Coves; and two lived on the south-east side of Governor's Hill. About forty of the first settlers had houses on the "neck of house- lots," by which term they usually designated that portion of the territory stretching north from Gov- ernor's Hill, and lying between Annisquam River and Mill River. Of the rest of these settlers, there is nothing to indicate the place of residence. The first settlers, or those before 1651, were not all here at one time. The records show frequent changes in the ownership of lots ; and other circumstances give evidence that many of the persons who lived in town before that date, were only brief sojourners. Of all the first comers, not more than thirty became per- manent citizens of the town. Before 1651, it is not certain that there was a single family residing in any part of the town than the two sections above named, excepting one or two on the easterly side of Mill River; but soon after that year, settlers are found near Little Good Harbor, at Walker's Creek, at Lit- tle River, at Fresh-water Cove. and at Annisquam. A few years later, inhabitants gathered around the Coves on the north side of the Cape; and finally, about the end of the century, the head of the Cape itself received a few permanent occupants ; Kettle Cove had become the abode of one family or more ; and no considerable district of the town now remained unoccupied to attract the attention of new comers.

"The spots selected by most of the early settlers for their homes were chosen with reference to the fit- ness of the soil for agricultural purposes ; and such is the rugged and broken character of the territory, that even the small number of people that then com- posed its population covered almost every acre of land that could be easily cultivated. Nearly all of the first settlers had land in several different places. Besides their home lots, those who resided at the Harbor had grants at ' Fisherman's Field ; ' and those living on the neck of house-lots had them on ' Plant- er's Neck, between Lobster Cove and the sea.' Pos- sessing thus different lots in widely separated places, without, in many instances, any mention of a house, the exact spot on which every settler located himself cannot be ascertained. Many of them had grants

Hugh Brown. William Brown. Hugh Calkin. Thomas Chass. 3Ir. ('lark.

Thomas Jones.

Thomas Judkin.

William Kenie.

Stephen Streeter. John Studley. Walter Tybhot. Thomas Very.

John Coit, Sen.

John Coit, Jun.

Solomon Martin.

Thomas Smith. Morris Somes.

Stephen Glover.

Willianı Sargent.

Robert Elwell.

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which were not recorded; and of those which are re- corded, a few are stated to have been made by the Commissioners of the General Court; some are en- tered simply as given, some as purchases, and some as possessions. Planter's Neck, where lots were laid ont and numbered, was at Annisquam,-the spot which tradition has always reported to have been the first to receive permanent occupants. Abraham Rob- inson and his companions may have set up their fish- ery there, as early mention is made of a 'stage' at that place; but no evidence exists now to show that any of the earliest families resided there. Robinson owned land and a house, the location of which no one can tell ; but in it, says the record, 'he lived and died,'-the first of the early settlers that passed away to the great congregation of the dead." (Babson's History, pp. 183-185.)

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 80

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1672

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1672